Funding opportunities

BBSRC Sparking Impact Awards

Collaborative R&D and Industry Research Sabbaticals
The University has secured a £100k Sparking Impact Award (SIA) from BBSRC. This will fund activities that support the movement of people, the pull of technology and changing the culture surrounding KE; the emphasis being on delivering impact in ways that work. It will provide flexible funding that can be deployed rapidly to seize opportunities as they arise, and support the delivery of the University’s Impact, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IIKE) strategy. All SIA funded projects must be clearly linked to current or prior BBSRC-funded research.
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Technology proof of concept

Natural Environment Research Council, GB
The programme supports the development of new and innovative technologies for environmental science. The total budget for this call is £2.5 million. Funding is worth a maximum of £150,000 at 80 per cent of full economic costs.
Award amount max: £150,000
Closing date: 16 September 2013
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Imaging technology development for the 3Rs

National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research
The scheme will support proposals that address genuine technological challenges in preclinical imaging, which if overcome, would advance science and the 3Rs. The total budget available for this call is £1 million.
Closing date: 20 September 2013
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Technology inspired innovation

Technology Strategy Board, GB
The aim of this call is to fund collaborative research and development projects that advance innovation across the key enabling technology areas of advanced materials, biosciences, electronics, sensors and photonics and information and communications technology. Total project size may be up to £500,000.
Award amount max: £500,000
Closing date: 25 September 2013
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Research grants

Royal Society, GB
These provide seed-corn funding for scientists in the UK who are at an early stage of their career, or for academics to research the history of science. Grants are for a maximum period of 12 months and worth up to £15,000 to cover specialised equipment, essential consumable materials and services, and travel and subsistence for essential field research; up to £5,000 is available to assist with the publication of scholarly works in the history of science. For those who are within the first 5 years of the start date of their first permanent or limited-tenured academic position
Award amount max: £15,000
Closing date: 15 October 2013
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Paul instrument fund

Royal Society, GB
Grants support the design and construction of novel instruments to measure phenomena in the physical sciences. Funding of up to £75,000 is available for one to three years.
Award amount max: £75,000
Closing date: 16 October 2013
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International opportunities fund

Natural Environment Research Council, GB
This scheme provides resources to NERC-supported researchers to forge long-term partnerships with overseas scientists that add value to current science. Pump priming grants are worth up to £50,000 over a maximum of two years; pump priming plus grants are worth up to £400,000 over a maximum of three years.
Award amount max: £500,000
Closing date: 17 October 2013
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Innovation vouchers

Technology Strategy Board, GB
This scheme helps businesses gain knowledge needed to innovate and grow by working with external experts. Applicants with projects in agrifood, built environment, energy, water and waste, open data innovators and inventors and cyber security may receive a voucher up to £5,000 in value. The University cannot itself apply but provide the experitise to a business in receipt of a voucher.
Award amount max: £5,000
Closing date: 23 October 2013
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International exchange cost-share programme

Royal Irish Academy, IE
This enables Irish and UK researchers to collaborate on a single research project in the natural sciences. Funding is worth up to €7,500 per year for each team. Visits must be undertaken over two years.
Award amount max: €15,000
Closing date: 23 October 2013
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CRACK IT challenges

National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, GB
Proposals are accepted for five challenges with the overall aim of minimising the use of animals in research. Funding is worth up to £1 million per challenge, for a period of three years.
Award amount max: Not specified
Closing date: 30 October 2013
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International academic fellowships

Leverhulme Trust, GB
These provide established researchers with a concentrated period based in one or more research centres outside the UK. Fellowships are worth up to £22,000 for a period of three to 12 months to cover travel, maintenance, replacement and essential supports costs.
Award amount max: £30,000
Closing date: 7 November 2013
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Research fellowships

Leverhulme Trust, GB
These support experienced researchers, particularly those who are or have been prevented by routine duties from completing a programme of original research. Fellowships are worth up to £45,000 for a period of three to 24 months. Awards may cover research expenses and a contribution towards replacement costs or loss of earnings.
Award amount max: £45,000
Closing date: 7 November 2013
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Brazil partnering awards

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These aim to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories, and promote the exchange of scientists, particularly those in the early stages of their career, as well as access to facilities. The council also seeks to enhance food security, and bioenergy and industrial biotechnology research in the UK and Brazil. Partnerships of up to four years are supported, with £50,000 available for single partner collaborations and up to £100,000 for consortia applications.
Award amount max: £100,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this opportunity (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

China partnering awards

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These aim to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories, promote the exchange of scientists, particularly those in the early stages of their career, and promote access to facilities. Awards are worth up to £25,000 for a period of four years for partnerships with one or more Chinese life science laboratories. They cover travel, subsistence and other activities, such as workshops and exchanges.
Award amount max: £25,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this scheme (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

India partnering awards

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These aim to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories, promote the exchange of scientists, particularly those in the early stages of their career, and promote access to facilities. Awards are worth up to £25,000 for a period of four years, and cover travel, subsistence and other activities, such as workshops and exchanges.
Award amount max: £25,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this opportunity (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

Japan partnering awards

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These aim to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories; promote the exchange of scientists, particularly those in the early stages of their career; and promote access to facilities. Awards are worth up to £50,000 for a period of four years and cover travel, subsistence and other activities, such as workshops and exchanges.
Award amount max: £50,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this opportunity (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

Taiwan partnering awards

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These aim to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories, promote the exchange of scientists, particularly those in the early stages of their career, and promote access to facilities. Awards are worth up to £25,000 for a period of two years for the UK partner.
Award amount max: £25,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this scheme (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

US partnering awards

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These aim to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories; promote the exchange of scientists, particularly those in the early stages of their career; and promote access to facilities. Awards are worth up to £50,000 for a period of four years, and cover travel, subsistence and other activities, such as workshops and exchanges.
Award amount max: £50,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this opportunity (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

International workshops scheme

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
This aims to stimulate joint working in topics important to BBSRC’s strategy, and to match numbers of scientists from the UK with other countries to identify areas of commonality and explore the potential for international collaboration. Around eight awards are available, worth approximately £10,000 each.
Award amount max: £10,000
Closing date: 27 November 2013
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this opportunity (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)

Biomedical resource and technology development grants

Wellcome Trust, GB
These provide support for researchers wishing to establish a new resource or technology or to refine and maintain an existing resource or technology, including databases and collections, for the benefit of the wider scientific community. Up to five years’ support is available.
Award amount max: Not specified
Closing date: 2 December 2013
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Please contact Charlotte Lay if you are considering an application with a captial equipment element in excess of £10,000 including VAT (c.lay@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 21418)

Multi-user equipment grants

These provide support for multi-user items of equipment, including equipment required to create a central resource for a number of disparate scientific programmes. The maximum amount of funding is expected to be £1 million.
Award amount max: £1,000,000
Closing date: 2 December 2013
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In order to support this scheme in line with funder guidance R&IS has arranged an internal review panel to peer review all applications under development. The panel meeting will take place on Thursday 24 October 2013 therefore we ask all applicants to submit a draft copy of their proposal to Stephanie Riley (stephanie.riley@sheffield.ac.uk) by 5pm on Wednesday 16th October.

Study abroad studentships

Leverhulme Trust, GB
These support an extended period of advanced study or research at a centre of learning overseas, excluding the US. Studentships comprise £17,000 per year for basic maintenance costs and a dependent partner allowance of £6,000 for a period of 12 to 24 months.
Award amount max: Not specified
Closing date: 13 January 2014
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Emeritus fellowships

Leverhulme Trust, GB
These assist senior established researchers to complete a research project and to prepare the results for publication. The fellowship is worth up to £22,000 for a period of three to 24 months.
Award amount max: £22,000
Closing date: 6 February 2014
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Engagement fellowships

Wellcome Trust, GB
These aim to support and develop upcoming stars in public engagement with science. Support is provided for up to two years and includes a salary or salary buyout, project costs, training, access to office space and facilities at the Wellcome Trust, and opportunities to work with trust’s staff to develop project ideas.
Award amount max: Not specified
Closing date: 21 February 2014
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Please contact Greg Oldfield if you are interested in this funding opportunity (g.m.oldfield@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 20561)

Capital funding for public engagement and medical history

Wellcome Trust, GB
This scheme provides capital funding for large-scale projects that support public engagement or medical history. Awards will normally be worth over £200,000.
Award amount max: Not specified
Closing date: 23 May 2014
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Please contact Greg Oldfield if you are interested in this funding opportunity (g.m.oldfield@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 20561)

International scientific interchange scheme

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
This aims to help scientists add an international dimension to their BBSRC-funded research by making and establishing new contacts with international counterparts. Funding is limited to travel and subsistence costs, and does not usually exceed £5,000.
Award amount max: £5,000
Closing date: No deadline
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Please contact Claire Mangham if you are interested in this scheme (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk, ext 27434)